A Virtual Nightmare
by warriorsgirl664
Summary: AU What if Yami Marik actually followed Yugi and everyone else into the Virtual World? What would have happened to everyone else? What would have changed? Obviously takes place during Noah's Arc. :-:Puzzleshipping:-:
1. And so it begins

**And so begins my first multi-chapter story since 2006. Good times...good times...*cough* Anyways, I really want to thank my lovely beta for...being my beta and being awesome. She's the one who gave me the idea for this story in the first place! *Glomps* I love you!**

**Alright so the basic plot for this story is the Virtual World Arc with Yami Marik as a plot twist. Honestly, why did he not go with them? It would have made those 20 or so episodes more interesting. Ah well.**

**I'll try my very best to make sure Mariku doesn't seem like a mary-sue becaues I really don't want him to seem like this. I'm sure my beta would kill me if I made him like that anyways 0_0**

**In this story, Yami Marik is going to be known as Marik. There will be small mentions of Puzzleshipping but other than that, no pairings.**

**Yu-Gi-Oh does not belong to me and it never will. If it did, Yami Marik would have been in Noah Virtual World and pwned the Big Five and the little green-haired brat.**

**Enjoy :)**

* * *

~Yami's POV~

I smiled softly as I watched my little hikari sleep, his breathing quiet and steady. Gently, I pushed a stray blonde bang away from his porcelain face before resuming my watchful position. My poor aibou was so tired from yesterday. So many things had changed, and so many events had occurred.

Our new enemy was stronger than our last, and much more dangerous. The young one, Malik, was easier to understand. Even though he had been hiding his true identity from us the whole time, he had innocence inside him. I could sense it.

But this thing, this…monster was someone completely different. No longer was the misguided Malik Ishtar in control but something far more deadly.

Something that could harm my light. That was something I could not allow.

A small movement from the bed I was sitting on brought my attention to my hikari who was currently struggling to wake up.

"Y-Yami? What are you doing here?" he asked, his voice laced with sleep and drowsiness.

Smiling again, I reached over and stroked his hair. "I was watching you sleep. Is something wrong?"

He returned my smile, making my heart beat a bit faster. "No, of course not. You only took me by surprise, that's all."

I nodded in understanding before standing up and walking towards the door to exit his soul room. Before I could turn the handle, he called me back. I turned around to face him again, and was surprised to see worry and fear in his eyes.

"What's the matter Yugi?" I asked, concerned.

My little hikari spoke after he was sure he had my full attention. "How far is Marik going to go to get power? After what happened to Mai and Odeon, I was sure the worst was over. Now Ryou and the spirit of the Millennium Ring are gone. How many more people is he going to hurt before he finally goes after us?"

Part of my soul was warmed immensely due to the fact that Yugi was referring to 'us' instead of 'me.' It made me feel much closer to my aibou.

Never the less, I also shared my worried thoughts pertaining Marik.

"He will never stop aibou. He's going to take down all the people we care for before he goes after us. It's all part of his twisted game."

"B-But we'll stop him, right?"

The fragile, weak voice that was coming from my precious light pulled at my heartstrings. Yugi was still very young and his mind was innocent and pure. I was the only one able to protect said innocence and I wasn't going to let anything or anyone taint his perfect mind.

"I promise we will."

* * *

~Normal POV~

"Just continue down to the end of the hallway where my _associates _will greet you." Noah's shrill voice sounded through the long metal corridor.

/What do you think this is all about pharaoh? / Yugi asked mentally, a bit of fear creeping up inside of him.

Yami could sense this fear and inwardly growled. Whoever this Noah was, he would not allow his little aibou to fall into the clutches of this enemy. Malik's alter ego was enough to worry about.

/I'm not sure little one. Whatever it is, I'm here for you. / the comforting words sunk into the hikari's subconscious and he smiled softly.

/Thank you Yami. /

His yami was right. Malik's darker side was very dangerous, much more dangerous than any of the other villains that they had come across. However, whoever this Noah was, he seemed dangerous as well. What was going to happen to them?

~Marik's POV~

Where the hell did that pipsqueak pharaoh and those pathetic friends of his go? This is quite an interesting turn of events but this waiting around is getting most aggravating. I'm the one who deserves the pharaoh's power, not some wannabe.

My patience is wearing thin. I think it's time to pay the pharaoh's vessel a little visit…

~Normal POV~

"No, it can't be!" Kaiba's voice rang out is disbelief, blue eyes wide with shock. The amethyst-eyed hikari didn't recognize these people were but if Seto Kaiba was shocked to see them, they must be threatening.

"You should have known we would be back _Kaiba_." One of them said, spitting out the CEO's name as if it were the plague. Yugi blinked at this show of hostility, but did not move. He wasn't going to put himself in the line of danger this time.

"Happy to see us again?" Another said mockingly. Tristan turned towards Kaiba before he started speaking.

"Do you know these five clowns Kaiba?"

Yugi furrowed his eyebrows. Kaiba wasn't the only one that recognized these five men in suits. The little hikari knew he had seen them before. "These guys seem awfully familiar…"

"Those guys are Big Five, the goons that tried to get rid of Seto and take over the Kaiba corporation!" Mokuba said anger in his shrill voice.

/That's why they seemed so familiar to me…/ Yami's deep voice rang through Yugi's head once more.

The hikari looked confused. /You remember these guys? /

The ex-pharaoh nodded. /Yes. Kaiba and I destroyed their five-headed dragon monster in the virtual world. They almost succeeded in destroying us. /

Suddenly, the Millennium Puzzle, which had remained inactive since Yugi had fallen asleep last night, started to glow. Both the yami and hikari looked down at the glowing artifact.

/What's up with the puzzle? /

Yami blinked. /I'm not sure. It doesn't activate like this unless another Millennium Item is in close range. /

Yugi looked puzzled. (no pun intended) /Another item? I though that Ryou and the spirit of the ring were in the Shadow Realm. Who else has a…/ Amethyst eyes widened in realization as he looked down the dark hallway. It could only be…

"Hello little Yugi. Happy to see me?"

The hikari jumped in surprise when the deep, possessed voice rang out, causing him to spin around in shock. Marik's lavender eyes were sparkling with amusement and his dark chuckle followed.

"Marik!" At the sounded of their enemy's name, everyone turned around. Joey, once spotting the tan, yami, growled and stood in front of his little sister protectively. "What do ya want ya psycho?"

Marik merely sniffed in the blonde's direction. "I was only curious as to where everyone disappeared to. How am I supposed to drain the pharaoh's energy and destroy him if he suddenly wanders off?"

/Sorry aibou, but I'm taking over. /

Yugi didn't have time to argue. The tone of his yami's voice was firm and clear, usually meaning he wouldn't change his mind. With that being said, Yugi reluctantly gave his yami control, creeping to his soul room.

Once Yami was fully in control, he narrowed his eyes and glared at his enemy. "You won't be taking anything from me Marik."

Letting out something that could only have been a grunt of delight, Marik smirked. "So nice of you to join us pharaoh. Tired of letting your hikari have control of the body?"

Yami growled dangerously.

"If you fools are done arguing, we would very much appreciate you pay attention to what we have to say." One of the Big Five said impatiently.

Marik broke his staring contest with the ex-pharaoh and sent a disapproving look over at the virtual businessmen. "Who the hell are you five suppose to be?"

One of the more burly of the men smirked at the yami. "We are people with great power. Power beyond anything any one of you could understand."

The Egyptian snorted. "I find that very hard to believe."

Kaiba sent the deranged psycho a glare before turning back to the virtual villains. "What is it you old coots want from me?"

Another one, this time a little taller, spoke. "Only you Seto Kaiba? I can assure you what we plan is also for all of your little friends. We are going to hold a tournament."

The CEO narrowed his hard, blue eyes in suspicion and disgust. "What kind of tournament?"

"A tournament involving a game you are quite familiar with Kaiba. A Duel Monsters tournament and all of you will participate."

Yami turned his attention away from Marik and faced the Big Five again. "Why do you want to duel us?"

"Isn't it obvious? Once we defeat you brats, we can take over your bodies and get back into the real world while you fools wander in this virtual hell forever."

Everyone, except for Marik, who looked vaguely bored, seemed to stiffen at that. Only Joey had the guts to speak up. "Let us out of here ya big creeps!"

All five of the men seemed to laugh at this. "You children aren't going anywhere for a very long time, we can assure you that."

Almost at once, the room changed. The glow around them brightened and all of them had to shield their eyes from the brightness. Once they opened them again, the scenery had transformed.

"Where are we?" Tea asked, looking around confused.

Kaiba rolled his eyes. "Weren't you geeks listening? Where're in cyberspace created by that bratty kid, Noah."

The brunette blinked before she let her hand go through a set of pink flowers, gasping when she couldn't touch them. "It looks so real though." Just as the words left her mouth, she looked at and yelped when she saw another version of Kaiba glaring down at her.

"K-Kaiba?"

"No, it's just a virtual clone. I remember making them all the time to duel against."

Tristan looked confused. "Why?"

"Who better?" Kaiba asked with a smug grin. Marik snickered from the background, Yami turning and glaring at him hotly.

"Listen up you lot. We have new rules to this game you're all too familiar with so watch closely."

Everyone's eyes fell on the virtual Kaiba and another monster that came into play. The Big Five explained the rule of the 'Deckmaster' and that they each had a special ability that could be used in battle. Virtual Kaiba's Blue-Eyes was destroyed and he soon disappeared.

Joey growled. "Let us outta' this room!" he repeated, getting a little frustrated at being so helpless.

"You fool; we never even left the room." Soon, the area they were in transformed back into the original way it looked, with everyone back in their places.

Kaiba narrowed his eyes. "We are not playing your sick games!"

Yami spoke. "Hold on now. If we all stick together, we can beat these five at their own game."

Tristan nodded, an old smile coming onto his face. "I got your back Yugi." Joey looked a little uncertain at first but then nodded to show his support. Kaiba snorted and turned away but Mokuba smiled brightly.

"Hold on guys. Which one of us is going to duel?" Tea asked.

Another burly businessman snickered. "Good question, brat. Just to make sure you all suffer, all of you will be dueling. The first five to lose are the five that will replace us and stay here forever."

"In your dreams you old fools!" Kaiba shouted, his annoyance growing by the second.

"We shall see who the fool is Mr. Kaiba. Until then we suggest you children get ready for our duels."

"Bring it on! You punks are going down!" Joey said.

"Who's going down?"

The floor suddenly seemed to vanish beneath Joey's feet and blonde duelist fell through the floor with a startled screech.

"Joey!" Serenity cried out in shock and fear.

"As you can see, before these duels begin, we plan on separating you brats." One of the Big Five said sharply.

"What?" Tea cried out in disbelief and horror. Soon, she cried out as she too fell through a hole in the floor, as did Serenity.

"Serenity!" Both Duke and Tristan rushed to save her but were caught off guard as they too fell through the floor.

Mokuba, fear evident on his face, ran towards his older brother. "Seto!" he cried out but then cried out when both him and his brother fell through the floor like the others. Now, only Yami and Marik were left.

The ex-pharaoh stood where the last of his companions had fallen and growled. "That is enough! Where have my friends gone?"

"You two will soon join them." One of the businessmen said before a hole spontaneously appeared beneath the two yamis. The amethyst-eyed spirit seemed quite surprised at this as he started to fall but Marik merely crossed his arms, a smirk on his face as he fell.

"And so it begins…"


	2. Yami vs Gansley part 1

**Here is chapter 2!**

**I know that this chapter seems to focus only on Yami and Mariku, but as the story goes on, I will include the other parts with everyone else so they're not neglected ;)**

**I luv my beta! :D**

**Yugi to Yami: /**words**/**

**Yami to Yugi: ~/**words**/~**

**Yu-Gi-Oh! does not belong to me. If it did, you would know ;)**

* * *

~Normal POV~

The first thing Yami was aware of as he regained consciousness was the change in scenery around him. There was grass below him and a blue sky above him. Trees shaded the ground and the sun shone brightly.

"Where am I?"

"Finally awake I see."

At the sound of the familiar possessed-sounding voice, the former pharaoh spun around to meet the sight of Marik. The tan yami was currently leaning against tree, staring off into space, looking bored.

The amethyst-eyed yami narrowed his eyes. "How long have you been here?"

Marik's amused gaze fell on him. "Metaphorically speaking, I have been here as long as you have, pharaoh."

Rolling his eyes in annoyance, the ex-pharaoh spoke again. "I mean how long have you been awake?"

The psycho shrugged. "I'm not sure. Could have been hours."

Yami blinked, eyeing the other yami with a distrusting look in his amethyst eyes. However, he took advantage of the silence between them and surveyed the virtual world around him. The clearing he had been lying in was surrounded by trees, almost like a forest.

/Do you think there's anyway out pharaoh? / Yugi asked, his voice echoing through his skull. The amethyst-eyed yami sighed softly, shaking his head unconsciously. Was there a way out? If there was, how was he supposed to get there?

~/I'm not sure. Wherever it is, we'll find it, I promise. /~

/Would you like me to take over Yami? That fall must have taken a lot out of you…/

The ex-pharaoh smiled softly at his hikari's concern. ~/Thank you Yugi, but I wouldn't put it past Marik to try anything. I want to make sure you stay safe. /~

/Well…alright. You stay safe too, okay? /

~/I promise. /~

"Are you done talking with that brat of yours?"

Yami glared at the psycho yami, annoyed at being suddenly jolted out of his conversation with his light. "It's none of your business Marik."

The tan yami snickered before turning away with a flare of his purple cloak. The ex-pharaoh raised an eyebrow as he watched Marik start to walk towards a pathway in the trees. When he noticed Yami wasn't following him, he stopped and turned around, half-lidded lilac eyes reflecting boredom.

"Are you coming pharaoh?"

Yami's eyebrows furrowed. What was the psycho up to now? "Where are you going Marik?"

Purple orbs rolled dramatically. "I can't be the only one out of the two of us that wants to find a way out of here. We'll accomplish nothing just standing around here and the sooner we can leave, the sooner I can focus on draining your power and controlling the world. So if you don't mind…" the psychotic yami held his hand in the direction he was walking expectantly.

The former pharaoh growled but knew that the other yami was right. They weren't going to find a way out if they just sat around and did nothing. Keeping his eyes trained on Marik, he walked forward. The darker yami seemed pleased that his enemy actually listened to him and continued walking.

Yami remained a safe distance away from the unstable Egyptian, warily watching him to make sure he didn't try anything. The walk out of the forest was a quiet one, neither yami speaking to each other. Although Yami caught Marik whispering to himself a few times, the pharaoh would merely clear his throat and the tan yami would smirk but then fall silent again.

Finally, they were out of the woods. In front of them was some sort of lake, more trees and woods on the other side. The ex-pharaoh stepped in front of the other yami and stood on the edge of the grass. Unconsciously grasping the puzzle in one hand he sighed. "It's a dead end."

Marik, who once again had he arms crossed over his chest, sniffed before looking around. Looking back at the water he snickered. "Why don't you try and swim across pharaoh?"

Yami glared at the sadistic yami. "Now is not the time Marik. I'm trying to find away around this."

"I'm afraid that won't be necessary." Another voice sounded. Both the ex-pharaoh and the tomb keeper trained their eyes on the water as ripples began to form on the middle of the lake. Soon, they got more violent and rising out of the water was something that looked like a duel monster.

The creature, once it was floating a few inches above the surface of the water, began to speak again. "I say, are you two familiar with the phrase 'it's time to duel?' If so then this is the last time either of you will ever hear it!"

Amethyst and lilac eyes met once as the yami's looked at each other in confusion. The creature seemed to sense this and a deep chuckle erupted from its throat. "Well now, it looks like you two don't recognize me. I'm deeply hurt. The name is Gansley, founding and loyal member to the Big Five."

Marik growled in annoyance. "This fool again."

Yami narrowed his eyes. "Why have you taken on the form of a monster?"

The Big Five member didn't seem bothered. "Did you forget the rules of our tournament already? Remember the deck master rule? I have taken the form of my deck master, Deep Sea Warrior."

The ex-pharaoh didn't seem impressed. "You may be hiding behind a strong disguise Gansley but I know that under that mask is nothing but a feeble old man that wouldn't stand a chance in a real duel if your life depended on it."

The virtual man smirked. "You fool; once I defeat one of you I'll finally have a life again! Once I take over a body, I'll be able to escape this world forever."

Yami took an instinctive step back, shock mixed with anger in his eyes. Marik could feel anger overpowering the annoyance inside him and his eyes reflected it. How dare this fool threaten to steal the body it took him years to finally take control of!

Gansley sighed, almost longingly. "Oh to be young again…either one of your bodies will be a perfect fit for me. I might have to do something about those ridiculous haircuts though. So, which one of you is going to duel me?"

Before Yami could even open his mouth, Marik shouldered him aside, lilac eyes narrowed. "Nobody makes fun of my hair and gets away with it! I'll defeat this fool pharaoh."

The amethyst-eyed yami growled in annoyance before stepping in front of the tan yami once again. "No Marik. It doesn't matter how much we dislike each other, we must rely on one another until we get out of here. I don't want your anger costing you this battle. I'll duel this one"

The darker yami glared at the pharaoh in disbelief. At first, he was quite tempted to push the pharaoh aside, or into the lake, and defeat the foolish virtual villain that was before them. However, he knew that if he did lose the duel, he would be trapped and Malik's body would be lost to someone else forever. That was risk he was a little hesitant on taking since he was so close to winning the Millennium Puzzle and the other two Egyptian God cards. Plus, the pharaoh did seem to have the power, skill, and luck to win every single duel he fought.

Eyes narrowed in anger, Marik finally stepped back. The former pharaoh was a little surprised the sadistic yami listened to him but did not dwell on it. He needed to make sure that he won this duel so he could move on and find his friends.

"Mark my words Gansley, you and your partners will never succeed in trapping us here." Yami said, stepping closer to the water.

"Really? Well I sure hope you remember the new rules to this game because if you don't you'll lose for sure." The Big Five member said smugly, his arrogant smirk never leaving his face. The ex-pharaoh raised an eyebrow.

"You remember the deck master rule, don't you? You will pick a monster in your deck to serve as your deck master until the conclusion of the duel. Since I have already taken the form of a monster, I will serve as both the duelist _and_ the deck master. Now, build your virtual deck."

Yami's facial expression didn't change. "With what?"

"With these" Almost at once, several columns of cards started to float in front of the yami. "Your cards aren't valid in this world so you will have to choose a new deck with cards from our card database."

Both the pharaoh and tomb keeper exchanged a glance. They both realized at the same time that if these cards were from Noah's database, there would be no Egyptian God cards to rely on in any of their duels. Yami sighed softly in annoyance, and began touching familiar cards, making sure he got the ones he needed to win the duel.

"Alright, let's start this duel." Yami said, activating his duel disk.

"How quickly we forget; you still must choose a deck master." The virtual man said, holding his hand out.

The ex-pharaoh took the virtual deck out of the holder and looked through the cards. 'Which card should I choose? If each deck master as its own special ability, I should choose wisely. Maybe the Dark Magician since he's never let me down before…' he thought, reaching for his favorite card.

However, when he made a move to take it out, the Kuriboh card next to it started to wiggle and move. Yami blinked back in shock. He was further shocked when a certain little brown puffball appeared out of the card and started flying around him gleefully. "Kuriboh?"

Marik burst out laughing. "Kuriboh? That's your all-powerful deck master, pharaoh? That pathetic little thing?"

"I agree. It is an interesting choice." Gansley said, amused.

The amethyst-eyed yami turned back to his opponent. "No wait, I didn't chose him…" he stopped when the little duel monster nuzzled his cheek lovingly.

"Sorry, but once a deck master is chosen, it cannot be changed."

"Great." The former pharaoh muttered with annoyance, pushing the furry monster away from him. Kuriboh looked back at him angrily, dark purple eyes narrowed.

Sighing, the yami spoke again. "I didn't chose you Kuriboh, but now we must work together to win." The little duel monster blinked before nodding in happiness.

Marik, who had his arms crossed again, snickered. "And you were worried _I _would have lost this duel."

The ex-pharaoh ignored the other yami and turned to face Gansley. "Kuriboh is my deck master. I am ready to start the duel."

Marik narrowed his eyes. 'The pharaoh had better win this duel. If he doesn't, he and his little brat will be trapped here forever and I'll never gain his power.' He thought, making sure to watch the ex-pharaoh carefully.

The virtual villain shrugged nonchalantly. "Suit yourself. Let's begin."

"Pharaoh…you'd better win, you hear me?" The psycho yami growled out. Yami looked at the other yami before nodding.

"Let's duel." Both the duelists said before drawing the respected amount of cards. Gansley eyed his cards before a minute before he spoke. "I think I'll start off, if you don't mind, and place a monster in defense mode. It's only a matter of time before I win this duel."

Yami narrowed his eyes. "Why is that?"

"Because I have the skills of a businessman in order to crush you. You have no idea of the tactics needed to take down someone of great power as me." Gansley said hotly.

Yami growled. "Obviously you know nothing about this game Gansley. Duel Monsters is about honor, trust and respect, not making deals nor having business skills." Drawing another card, he fished through the ones in his hand to place one on his duel disk.

"I summon the Obnoxious Celtic Guardian in attack mode plus one card face down."

The Big Five member chuckled to himself and the observing Marik stiffened slightly. Was that the move the businessman wanted the pharaoh to do? If so, what was he going to do to counteract it?

"Now my Guardian, attack his face down monster now!" Yami shouted and his monster quickly rushed towards the face-down card and slashed it in half with one swipe of its sword.

The Big Five member smirked. "Thank you my boy. You destroyed my Ashinigrai and its special ability forces you to discard one card after my monster has been sent to the graveyard."

The ex-pharaoh scowled before placing Exchange in the graveyard slot. "I have plenty more cards left Gansley."

The virtual man smirked before interrupting again. "My monster also has another special ability. It lets me summon another Ashinigrai to the field and shuffle my deck. So sorry but if you had done your need research, you probably would have avoided such an embarrassing loss."

Yami narrowed his eyes but remained silent. Behind him, Marik raised an eyebrow. "Is that really the best you've got pharaoh?"

The amethyst-eyed yami grunted before catching the tan yami out of the corner of his eyes. "I'm just getting started Marik. There's no need to worry yet."

Lilac eyes narrowed slightly. Yet? Was the pharaoh unsure about himself enough to not believe he would win the duel?

The Big Five member continued on by drawing one more card, smirking as he saw what it was. "You know Yugi, I'm a businessman and in the world of business, there are three secrets to success. They are important so I suggest you listen closely."

Yami narrowed his eyes, remaining silent.

Gansley continued speaking. "The first is to build a powerful work-force. With that in mind, I summon Ipiria to the field!" The card was slapped on the duel disk and almost instantly, a white lizard appeared from the card, hissing dangerously.

"With this card on the field, it lets me draw another card to increase my dueling options. Then I shall switch Ashinigrai to attack mode, thus building my workforce." Out of the card came out a multi-colored looking bird, it's screech echoing throughout the field.

Marik snorted in amusement. "Some all powerful card. It barely has any attack or defense points."

The Big Five member narrowed his eyes. "I would expect good duelists such as you two to recognize the importance of a monster on the field, not how many points it contains."

The tan yami narrowed his eyes even more, the glowing eye of Wdjat on his forehead shining even brighter at that comment. Yami turned to face him, his amethyst eyes holding a knowing look before turning back to face his opponent.

Gansley's smirk never left his face, not even when he drew his next card. In fact, it seemed to widen. "I sense great growth in power for me, Yugi, while you sink even further in debt. This shouldn't take too long…"

Beside the former pharaoh, Kuriboh began to squeak and bounced up and down excitedly. Marik's eyes focused on the duel monster. "It looks like the puff-ball is trying to tell you something, pharaoh."

The Big Five member chuckled darkly. "Your foolish friend is correct, Yugi. It's a shame the weakling can't communicate with you."

Two sets of purple eyes flashed dangerously as both Marik and Kuriboh faced Gansley with equally angry expressions. "Pardon me? Foolish?" the tan yami snarled out. The little brown duel monster seemed to be just as angry with the business man, furious peeps coming from its tiny form.

Yami glanced at the duel monster. "Stay calm Kuriboh, we can't win if we give in to his mind games." The furry deck master seemed to agree and calmed down.

Turning around, the ex-pharaoh glared at his unwanted follower. "As for you, stay quiet back there or you'll lose this for the both of us."

Marik's mouth opened in disbelief. "Me? Are you deaf, pharaoh? Did you hear what he called me?"

Yami rolled his eyes and sighed in exasperation. "I heard Marik, but remember what I said? Just ignore him like you ignore everyone else you hate."

The psycho opened his mouth to say something more, but thought twice and closed it. He started to mutter to himself, his arms crossed more tightly over his chest. The ex-pharaoh rolled his eyes again before facing the opponent again.

Gansley chuckled again. "If you would focus more on the game and not on your dense little friend there, you probably would have the upper hand in this duel."

"Dense?"

"Marik, hush!"

The Big Five member was remarkably amused watching the two yamis argue back and forth. "I believe it's your turn Yugi. Draw and lets hope we are not so rudely sidetracked again."

Marik growled dangerously, the glowing eye on his forehead brightening again. Yami turned around to face him, amethyst orbs meeting lilac, warning him to stay silent. The insane yami, once seeing this, closed his eyes and took in a deep breath through his nose to calm himself down before meeting the ex-pharaoh's gaze again. "Just beat this fool."

Yami nodded. "I will."

Looking back at his deck, he drew one card and instantly brightened; Polymerization! This was perfect! Taking two more cards from his hand, he quickly began his move.

"I shall use Polymerization to fuse together my Berfomet and Gazelle to form Chimera the Flying Mythical Beast! Now, use Quick Attack to destroy Ipiria!" The former pharaoh's monster roared before spreading it's wings and darting towards the silver lizard.

Gansley smirked. "An interesting move, Yugi, but a very poor business decision! Now, it's time for you to pay the price!"

Yami narrowed his eyes. "Explain yourself, Gansley"

The Big Five member spoke again. "Remember, I have taken the form of Deep Sea Warrior and my deck master's special ability allows me to sacrifice my two monsters to create this!"

Both Yami and Marik watched anxiously as the two monsters were swallowed up and formed a ball of crackling, purple energy.

"Reflector Hole, bounce his attack right back at him!" the virtual man shouted. The ex-pharaoh watched in horror as his monster was engulfed by the ball on energy, then reappeared and attacked him instead. "No!" the ex-pharaoh cried out but the monster was already attacking.

The force of the attack pushed the former pharaoh back, slamming him straight into the other yami. Marik let out something that resembled a squeak of surprise as his arms were suddenly full of the ex-pharaoh. Kuriboh looked back at him, worried.

"Looks like your life points are starting to drain, along with everything else you have." The businessman taunted.

Yami narrowed his eyes before shakily straightening himself from the tan yami's grip. Marik eyed the other yami cautiously but let him go, rather pushed him up, and watched resolutely Yami walk back to his original spot. "Pharaoh?"

"Don't worry Marik; he hasn't put me out of business yet."

"Yes, but it's only a matter of time, Yugi. Soon my colleges will destroy you and your pathetic friends in the greatest corporate take-over in history! Speaking of your friends, I wonder how they are holding up in their new environment. Think about it, they must be suffering more than you are…and you can't save them." The virtual man said.

/He's right! We've got to end duel this and find them! / Yugi said, appearing in spirit form beside his yami.

"One more attack to your life points and your resources will have run out, leaving you trapped here forever!" Gansley shouted, glee in his voice.

"He's right, pharaoh." Marik stated.

"Don't worry Marik; I'll get both of us out of here. I promise."

For some strange reason, the tan yami believed him.


	3. Yami vs Gansley part 2

****

Yay, chapter 3! I also want to thank my reveiwers. I always love having motivation when I'm writing. I also want to thank my lovley beta cause she's awesome enough to beta this chapter while she's on vacation :) I luv you! *hug*

**Anyways, I seriously hope that this duel will be over soon so I can get to the good parts of this fic. I just re-watched the Virtual World segment and figured out that this story is going to be around 21 chapters long...which is as long as the first story I ever wrote! :)**

**I own nothing...it's really sad :(**

* * *

"I knew a rookie like you wouldn't be able to keep up with our deck master system." Gansley taunted as Yami clutched his shoulder, his amethyst eyes narrowed.

"I'm a fast learner and I wouldn't be celebrating so quickly; you haven't won your freedom from this world yet." the ex-pharaoh ground out.

"Don't you dare threaten me, you fool. You're weak…I can see it in your eyes. You'll never make it in the dueling business." the business man snarled, watching with amusement as the former monarch's eyes narrowed even more in anger.

Marik looked angry as well. "Don't listen to him, pharaoh!"

Gansley growled in annoyance at the tanner yami's interruption. "I believe _Yugi _is the one dueling now, you fool. I suggest you zip that flying mouth of yours before I zip it myself."

The younger yami rolled his eyes, his expression one of mock fear. "Oh no, some washed out old wanna-be just threatened me! Whatever shall I do?"

"Marik…" Yami ground out again and the lilac-eyed immortal once again closed his mouth, his heated glare still focused on the Big Five member.

"Oh, why are we dragging this out? Why don't you just give up now and let me have control of your body?" Gansley asked mockingly, tilting his duel disk up. "If you do, I will finally be able to escape from this virtual nightmare."

The former pharaoh shook his head slightly. "Not if you lose."

"Do explain."

"You talk a big game but you have no monsters on the field to protect you, leaving you wide open for an attack." Yami said, his Celtic Guardian and Chimera ready to pounce on his opponent.

"Obnoxious Celtic Guardian, attack his life points now!" the ex-pharaoh shouted. Almost at once, the elf-like solider sprang across the water and slashed his sword across Gansley's body. The Big Five member's life points harshly fell from 4000 to 2600 in an instant.

Marik let out an evil laugh of triumph. "Not so tough now, are you?"

Gansley straightened up, glaring once at the tan yami before turning back to Yami. "Not a bad move, kid."

"You claim to be a man of business, yet you allowed your competition to get the best of you." the ex-pharaoh stated.

The businessman chuckled. "Well not quite. In fact, I _led _you to do exactly what I wanted you to do! Now I summon Ruclomba the Spirit King!" he said, slapping the card down on the duel disk. A green lizard-like creature soon appeared on the field, crouched like a praying mantis beside its master.

Yami's eyes widened slightly. "But how can you summon a monster when my turn isn't even over yet?"

"Simple, Ruclomba is one of my more profitable investments. With this card in my deck, I can summon it anytime I lose more than 1000 life points, strengthening my staff of workers." Gansley stated.

"It's not about how many monsters you have, it's about how skillfully you use them in battle," the ex-pharaoh ground out in annoyance.

"Well, I've been in business for a long time and have always had a larger labor force. The reason being there was always an extra worker to pick up the slack of another. This is how I duel; if one monster becomes too weak, I have another one to take its place." the businessman said harshly.

"That's just sad." Yami growled.

"That's only your opinion, little Yugi. For me, it's a way of life." Gansley shot back.

The ex-pharaoh was so concentrated on his opponent; he failed to sense Marik's presence until he was right next to him. "You know, I don't agree with the pharaoh on a lot of things, but I do agree with how sad it is that you think a monster can be replaced so easily."

The Big Five member returned his attention back to the taller yami, his face drawn back into an unpleasant expression. "I thought I told you to keep quiet, fool!"

Malik's yami could only stare in disbelief before the glowing eye on his forehead began to shine brilliantly. The essence of darkness growled before moving towards the water. He probably would have swam, (if he could swim), over to the Big Five member and knocked some sense into the old fool but Yami's hand tightly grasped his shoulder, causing him to stop and stand next to the ex-pharaoh again.

"Do not mock him, Gansley. This duel is between you and me." the former pharaoh growled out, his amethyst eyes burning.

"Then I suggest you put your little boyfriend on a leash and tell him that his master is in a meeting right now." Gansley taunted.

Marik's eyes widened while Yami inwardly gagged at the thought of dating Marik.

The aforementioned tan yami was once again making his way towards the floating man. "I take orders from no one!" he snarled out.

"Marik, back off! You're only making it worse!" the ex-pharaoh said, placing both hands on his golden shoulders to stop the psychopath from advancing any further. The younger yami took one look at Gansley before he roughly shrugged off the former monarch's hands and moved back behind him, a scowl on his face.

"You'll never get away with this Gansley!" the ex-pharaoh said.

"Oh just watch me." his opponent shot back, drawing his card swiftly from his deck. Chuckling, a smile formed on his face before he placed the card on the duel disk. "I summon Youi in attack mode."

A card was reveled and a monster that looked like a mix between some sort of lizard and a spider crawled out, snarling at his master's opponent.

"Youi's arrival to this game forbids you from drawing a card next turn, making him a valuable asset." Gansley said.

Yami narrowed his eyes.

"But I'm not done yet. Now I play the magic card Premature Burial! All I have to do is invest a mere 800 lifepoints and I may now revive one of my former monsters. So return to the field, Ipiria!" the larger man shouted, his silver lizard once appearing back in front of him.

Both the ex-pharaoh and tomb keeper seemed to think the exact same thing at the same time; Gansley's monsters out-numbered Yami's three to two.

The Big Five member seemed to realize this too. "As you can see Yugi, I have created a large variety of investments and it will only keep growing. So, why don't you launch an attack? With my three monsters on the front line, you'll never get to me."

The former monarch growled. "We'll see about that."

"Yes we will."

Yami thought it over quickly. 'I can't use Chimera again; he'll just sacrifice two monsters to bring out Reflector Hole again, which will cause my monster to attack me instead of him. Also, even if I did destroy all of his monsters and attacked his life points, he would just summon another Ruclomba…"

The buissnessman chuckled. "What's the hold up? Have you finally realized that I'm unbeatable?"

"You should know that a good strategy takes time." The ex-pharaoh defended.

"Nonsense; stalling for time is a clear sign of weakness." Gansley shot back; fixing the spirit was a knowing look.

"That's pathetic."

"No, what's pathetic is the monster you've chosen as your deck master. That floating hairball does nothing but spout gibberish." The Big Five member taunted.

Kuriboh looked hurt, eyeing the floor in shame. Yami glared at his opponent before turning to the duel monster. "Don't worry Kuriboh, I believe in you. We can defeat him together."

"Then make your move, Yugi!"

The ex-pharaoh sighed before remembering the tan yami that should be behind him. He had been unusually quiet…

"Marik, are you still there?"

"Yeah…I'm still here, pharaoh."

It shocked the older yami to think of it but the confirmation that Marik was behind him was somewhat of a relief. Not just because he could keep an eye on the unstable yami but…

…he needed someone that he knew that was on his side, at least for the time being.

"Now get ready!" Yami shouted, moving his hand to draw another card. However, he stopped midway when he remembered Youi's special ability; he couldn't draw another card this turn.

"It's hopeless Yugi; you're dealing with a born strategist." Gansley boasted.

"Well you're dealing with an ancient ruler so I wouldn't be too cocky there, you old lemon." The youngest yami said sharply.

For once, Yami didn't reprimand his traveling partner. The fact that Marik was defending him was extremely odd, yet strangely comforting.

Thoughts of what to do again plagued the ex-ruler's mind. 'I can't attack with my Celtic Guardian because he'll just activate his Reflector Hole again. But he has to sacrifice two monsters to summon it, which will weaken his defense. I have not other choice; it may cost me some lifepoints, but it's a risk I'm going to have to take!'

"Now my Obnoxious Celtic Guardian, attack his Youi!" Yami shouted, his solider getting ready to attack.

Gansley smirked. "Looks like you're more foolish than I thought. For now I sacrifice Ipiria and Youi to activate Reflector Hole! Counter-attack!"

Almost at once, Yami's monster disappeared into the black and purple abyss before said abyss appeared in front of the former pharaoh and his monster shot out of it, slashing his sword across his own master's body. Yami cried out in agony before his knees began to shake and he clutched his shoulder in a death grip.

"Pharaoh!" the darker yami exclaimed, quite shocked that the tri-haired duelist had made such a move. He was also quite shocked when Yami didn't answer him, merely continued to groan in pain.

"You're lifepoints are falling faster than the stock market of 1929, Yugi." Gansley taunted as the ex-pharaoh's lifepoints went down from 1900 to 500. "That makes two direct hits; three strikes and you're out. Are you surprised how real this feels? It may be virtual but it takes more of a toll than the duels you're used to, right?"

Yami nearly whimpered in agony. He would have fallen back if Marik hadn't caught him, holding him upright so he didn't meet the grassy floor. "Come on pharaoh, you have to win this. I'm not letting some old coot destroy you before I get my chance to."

The ex-pharaoh took in one deep, fortifying breath before he spoke. "At least he's down to one monster now."

"Uhh, pharaoh? I really think you need to look again." The tan yami said, looking out over the field. Yami stared at the younger yami in confusion before he noticed that Marik was right; there were two monsters now.

"Explain yourself, Gansley!"

"Well, while you were busy recovering from my direct attack, I took the opportunity to sacrifice my Ruclomba to summon Wall of Illusion. Plus, another Ruclomba…I find it necessary to strike while your opponent is weak."

"You had that move planned all along, didn't you?" Marik snarled out.

"For once you are correct, my dense victim."

The tan yami was getting pretty tired of the inane insults he was receiving. The glowing eye of Wdjat on his forehead was shining brilliantly now, his whole body nearly shaking with rage.

However, Gansley seemed blissfully unaware as looked back at his opponent that was still awkwardly lying against the tan yami's chest. "Now Yugi, let me introduce you to the newest member of my staff; Wall of Illusion. Any monster that tries to attack it are removed from the field immediately and sent back to the player's hand. I may consider resigning now, Yugi."

Yami sighed. "What am I going to do, Marik? Every move I make will just be used against me or strengthen his defense."

The younger yami stared at the ex-pharaoh before lightly pushing him away. "You can't give up pharaoh. If you do, I'll never be able to destroy you and gain the power I want from you."

"I won't give up…it just seems so hopeless."

"That's because it is." Gansley said.

Marik glared at him. "Oh, go stick that fat head of yours up someone's rectum!"

"You know, your attitude hasn't improved once during this duel and frankly, you're starting to annoy me. I believe it's time to…_remove _you from the game." The buissnessman said harshly.

Both Marik and Yami exchanged glances but that didn't last long as a surprised yelp was drawn out of the tan yami as he was suddenly levitating and thrown back into the shade of the forest trees. Sitting up, he tried to make his way back to the pharaoh, only to discover that some sort of force field was keeping him out.

"What the hell? Let me back in!"

"I can't do that, you fool. This duel does not concern you, so I suggest you wait there and once I've gained your friend's body, I can focus on destroying you next."

Marik growled before stepping back. What was he suppose to do now? He couldn't be near the pharaoh to make sure nothing was happening…so that just left him to move back to his original plan; picking off Yami's friends one by one.

That friendship bitch seemed like the perfect start.

"I'll be back, pharaoh." The tan yami said and with a swish of his purple cape, he vanished into the forest of virtual trees.

"Good riddance." Gansley muttered and Yami narrowed his eyes.

"Well, you gave it your best shot, my young friend. However, big business always wins in the end. Besides, I've been roaming this world for too long and you're my ticket out." The Big Five member said.

"It's not over yet Gansley, so don't make your travel plans yet." Yami ground out.

Gansley smirked. "Keep your false hope. You'll be that much more disappointed when you suffer defeat. You, your rude friend and your pitiful deck master. That pathetic pom-pom is useless!"

Kuriboh stared at his master's opponent in shock for a moment before his fur puffed out sharply in anger, his dark purple eyes narrowed.

"I'm afraid you were doomed from the start."

"You can taunt me all you want Gansley, but I'll never give up hope. I trust in my deck." Yami said.

"And I trust my skills." The businessman shot back. Taking a look at his cards, the lifeless eyes met the crimson ones again.

"I have developed an arsenal of monsters at my disposal…not that it matter now anyways. I've rendered you so weak that you'll be out of lifepoints by the end of my next turn." The Big Five member said.

Yami could only glare, still clutching his shoulder in pain. Kuriboh was doing his best to also glare at the opponent, his fur puffed up and his green claws clenched in something that looked like fist.

"I will finally be allowed to return to civilization, while your mind is virtually scattered thought-out cyberspace!" Gansley shouted.

The ex-pharaoh could only stare. His opponent was right; if he didn't do something his next turn, he would be done and his body would be lost forever.

He couldn't lose…he just couldn't.


	4. Yami vs Gansley conclusion

**Weeee, another chapter in only a few days! Anyways, I once again thank my beta, cause she's awesome :)**

**I own nothing...**

* * *

'This virtual world is much more confusing than it needs to be.' Marik thought as he continued to walk. He had gotten out of the forest, but now found himself on the edge of a cliff. The cliff led down to the ocean below, its waves crashing violently against the rocks.

"Heh, some drop that would be. Perhaps when all this is over, I should push the pharaoh off a cliff…or off the blimp…either one would suffice." He said to himself, feeling moderately warm inside as he imagined the ex-pharaoh's demise.

However, it was cut shot when a small black and white bird waddled up to him, its lifeless black eyes staring up at him and its stubby wings flapping almost excitedly. The tomb keeper had never seen such an animal before and cocked his head to the side, his lilac eyes betraying child-like curiosity.

"Hmmm, you seem harmless enough." He said to the bird. He stiffened sharply when the penguin suddenly waddled closer to him and wrapped its short flippers around his leg, trying to grip the kaki material that covered it.

"Uhm…hello there, would you mind telling me if you've seen a slut around here recently?" he asked, mentally smirking as he imagined Tea, (he actually remembered her name), lying below him in a pool of her own blood…the life leaving those blue eyes…

He was so preoccupied with these happy thoughts that he failed to notice the penguin trying to pull him until it got behind him and pushed him forward. He let out a grunt of surprise before turning around to face the little bird. "Pardon me, but that was a little rude, don't you think?"

The bird didn't seem to care for it pointed towards what looked like a building on top of the highest cliff. "Ohh I see, you want me to go with you, is that it?" When the penguin continued to point and chirp, he shrugged. "Well it's better than standing here and doing nothing…"

* * *

"Let me guess, you've had enough suffering and you want to give up." Gansley said, clutching his cards a little tighter as he watched the ex-pharaoh struggled to stay upright.

"Guess again Gansley." Yami said, his voice filled with determination as he slowly stood up straight.

"Fine…you're only 500 lifepoints away from annihilation anyways."

"Trust me, I've been in tougher spots before; now make your move." The former pharaoh said, his crimson eyes narrowed slightly.

"Very well." Gansley said as he drew another card. He continued to stare at it, contemplating, before placing it in his hand and placing another card on his duel disk. "I summon Melchid the Four-Faced Beast in attack mode."

At the name of the monster, Yami was suddenly reminded on Marik. Turning around, he felt a little anxious that the younger, psychotic yami had not returned yet…that is, if he ever returned. However, he was snapped out of his anxiousness at the sound of the businessman's command.

"Melchid, eliminate his Celtic Guardian with Quadruple Smash Attack!"

The ex-pharaoh could only watch helplessly as the four-faced monster spun around and slammed into his elf solider. He groaned as he felt the attack take a tool on his own body and he fell to the floor. Kuriboh peeped worriedly, staring at his master with sad eyes.

* * *

"What's this? Are you one of the victims that have come here to duel me?"

"Not quite, old man. I have somewhat of a…proposition for you."

"I'm listening."

* * *

"Had enough, Yugi?" Gansley taunted, watching with sadistic amusement as the ex-pharaoh shook with pain.

Kuriboh whimpered, begging his master to get up so that they could win. However, Yami remained flat on the ground.

"What's that? I couldn't here you, what with your face in the dirt and all." The Big Five member snickered. "It looks like you're down for the count."

Yami moaned softly before one of his crimson eyes opened slowly. "Never!" he ground out.

"Pardon?"

"You heard me; I'll never give up." The former king said, standing up and facing his opponent with angry eyes. "As long as I have lifepoints, it's still on."

A mock sigh of sadness came from the larger man. "You're even more foolish than I though…even the most experienced businessmen know when it's time to close up shop."

Yami staggered, catching himself just in time. The pain was slowly eating away at his will and he knew that if he didn't win the duel soon, it would be too late for him.

"Not that it matters to me, for your lifepoints will be gone soon anyways." Gansley continued.

Kuriboh chirped worriedly at the ex-pharaoh, watching as Yami breathed in and out heavily as he tried to stay on his feet.

"You won't win…"

"Oh but I believe I will. Once I wipe out your last 400 lifepoints, I will escape from this world in that scrawny body of yours. It all happened when I launch my next attack. So now, it's time to make your final move, so chose your next card wisely!" Gansley said.

"Alright, here it goes." Yami said as he put all his faith in his deck and drew his next card. Looking at it, he was rather surprised that it was a Rainbow Blessing magic card. "This won't help me now! I need something powerful if I'm going to beat Gansley." He thought helplessly.

"Well? Stalling won't help you, Yugi. Success comes to men on action. You are riding down the rode of defeat and there is no stopping it. And to think, you are the so called 'King of Games.' I wonder what everyone in the real world would think of you now…" Gansley said snidely, grinning maliciously.

Almost at once, the brown duel monster next to the ex-pharaoh started to bounce around, peeping excitedly. Yami turned to look at him, frustration clear in his voice. "Not now Kuriboh, I'm trying to concentrate on this duel!"

/Hold on! I think Kuriboh is trying to tell us that Rainbow Blessing can help us after all!/ Yugi said, appearing beside his yami in spirit form.

When the puffball gave one smaller peep, Yami sighed and turned to him. "Well, I have nothing to lose. I said I have faith in my deck master and now it's time to put that to the test."

/That's right, now let's do it!/ Yugi declared.

"Alright Gansley, I place one card face down. Make your move."

* * *

"So, you're sure this will work?"

Marik grinned evilly. "Of course it will. Trust me; I know how this bitch thinks about the pharaoh. I know how much she looks up to him. This will work."

The Big Five member narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "Are you certain this will get me her body?"

"Would I lie to you?"

"Yes. I trust no one anymore."

"Well, if you want to get out of this virtual hell, I suggest you put that pride of yours away and trust me."

* * *

"Yugi, the end is near." Gansley said, drawing his next card and looking at it with a small smirk. "I activate the magic card, Offerings to the Doomed!" he said and the card activated, standing face-up on the field.

"This card allows me to destroy any monster on your side of the field so say goodbye to your Chimera!" he shouted. At once, a pale blue beam shot out of the card and tore through the winded monster, sending it to the graveyard.

"Now all your monsters are gone!"

"Wrong, you forgot about the special ability of my mythical beast! Now, I revive Berfomet from the card graveyard!" At once, the red monster returned to the duel in a swish of crimson light, crouched down.

"That was pointless. The end result will be the same once I play this card!"

Yami stared in surprise. "What?"

"I sacrifice Wall of Illusion and Melchid the Four-Faced Beast to summon my Rainbow Snake Eingana!" Immediately, a rainbow snake slithered out of the water and onto Gansley's side of the field. Towering over Yami and Kuriboh, it hissed dangerously, its fangs shining against the water.

Both the ex-pharaoh and his deck master recoiled in shock.

"Now Eingana, destroy his Berfomet and rid the field of his defenses!" the Big Five member shouted. The huge snake quickly grabbed the red creature in its mouth, crushing it easily with its strong jaws.

"It's almost done, Yugi. One more attack to your lifepoints and this duel it over!"

'This can't be how it ends…' the ex-pharaoh thought helplessly, his amethyst-crimson eyes burning with disbelief.

"It's time to make my finishing move. Ruclomba, win me my freedom and strike him down now!" Gansley ordered. His green monster opened its mouth a stream of pink energy shot out, heading straight towards this former pharaoh.

"No, it can't end like this!" Yami shouted, followed by a huge flash of light emitting from his side of the field.

Marik, who had found his way back to the duel, could only stare in shock as the blast sent off a light so bright it forced him to cover his eyes. Looking back, he was surprised to see something he really didn't expect; millions of Kuribohs.

"What's going on?" Gansley asked, watching at the millions of tiny duel monsters were destroyed by the blast, shielding Yami…well, everyone thought it was Yami…

"Hello, pharaoh brat!" the tan yami called cheerfully, snickering as Yugi stared at him with a bewildered expression.

"I've had enough of this foolishness; attack his lifepoints now!" the Big Five member said angrily as his monster once again attacked. However, once the smoke cleared, Yugi's lifepoints were untouched and Kuriboh was one again.

"Nice job, Kuriboh!" the amethyst-eyed hikari said, smiling when the small duel monster let out a happy cheep.

"How is it that you're still standing? Your lifepoints should be gone!"

"My Deckmaster saved me! Kuriboh's special ability allowed him to form a protective wall to shield me from your blast!" Yugi declared, the furry monster agreeing with him.

~/Yugi, why did you take over?/~ Yami asked, his eyes shining with confusion as he hovered next to his aibou in spirit form.

"I just figured you could use a rest, you know after all those direct attacks." The tri-haired light said brightly. "I wouldn't want anything to happen to you."

Yami gave a small smile. ~/Thank you, you're very brave./~

"Don't thank me, you should thank Kuriboh. Without his special ability we both would have been finished by now!" Yugi said as the furry Deckmaster peeped brightly.

~/That's true. I guess some things are more powerful than they appear./~

Yugi turned to face his yami. "You can say that again! It turned out that Kuriboh was one of the best monsters to have a Deckmaster. Getting him wasn't just some tick that Gansley played on us."

The ex-pharaoh nodded. ~/You're right; it was the heart of the cards that guided Kuriboh to us./~

Both Yugi and Kuriboh smiled brightly, the mood suddenly brighter. However, the little hikari gave out a weak groan suddenly and fell unconscious, his form falling towards the ground.

"Yugi!" the former king called out as he caught his aibou in his now solid arms as they both switched control of the body. "It looks like this duel is effecting you as well…let me take over and finish this." He said, his eyes slightly sad and worried as he held his hikari up. "Alright Gansley, this duel is not done yet!"

"Your furry little powder-puff blocked one attack and you think you've won? I'm afraid nothing could be further from the truth. Because of the Deckmaster rule, your Kuriboh has now been introduced to the playing field which now allows me to attack the fur ball directly." Gansley smirked. "Last I checked, my serpent has more than enough points to wipe out that pathetic monster of yours. This duel is over!"

"Last time I checked, it was still on!" Yami shouted back.

"You tell that old fool, pharaoh!" Marik called from behind the force field. The tri-haired yami blinked in surprise at the other yami's voice and turned around.

"Marik, when did you get back?"

The younger yami's face twisted into an expression of mock sadness. "I'm hurt pharaoh; it took you this long to notice me?"

"It didn't take _me _that long. Why can you not take a hint and leave?" the Big Five member hissed in annoyance.

"Make me." Marik growled back.

"Oh I will, once I'm done with your friend here."

Yami turned back to his current enemy, his crimson eyes narrowed. Gansley also turned back to the duel, his constant smirk never ceasing. "It's time to make your last, pathetic move…not that you have any options left. All you have is that puny Kuriboh and what can he do?"

When the brown monster looked at his master sadly, Yami spoke in a determined tone. "You'll see."

Kuriboh seemed to understand what the ex-pharaoh was implying and brightened. The tri-haired dark nodded once to his Deckmaster before turning back to his opponent. "You do a lot of talking Gansley," he said, drawing one card and mentally smirking once he saw what it was, "but now it's my turn to give the advice."

Gansley was silent as he continued to stare at his opponent suspiciously.

"Misjudging the small can be quite a mistake; in business and duel monsters." Yami stated while the Big Five member growled.

"Yeah, just look at the pharaoh's runt!" the younger yami piped in. The former king rolled his eyes and shook his head before turning back to his fellow dark.

"Now is not the time, Marik."

The tomb keeper snickered. "Well, you know it's true!"

"Enough! I'm done with these childish games! Either make your next move or forfeit the duel. Although, I highly doubt any card in your deck can save you now…" Gansley said, his hand clenched tightly in a fist.

Yami allowed his smirk to form. "Oh really?" he asked, holding up his chosen card.

The businessman took one look at the card and burst out laughing. "Is that Swift Gaia the Fierce Knight? That card is useless! Attack me with whatever monster you like; I'll just reflect the attack back at you. With only 400 lifepoints, it will be all over for you!"

"I wouldn't be so sure." The ex-pharaoh said, exchanging a knowing glance with his Deckmaster, who peeped excitedly. "I activate my face down card; Rainbow Blessing!"

The card that was spoken rose face up on the field and began to glow.

"When this card is combined with Kuriboh, a great power is unleashed." Yami said. Immediately, the small duel monster began to change. His fur became rainbow-tinted and more individual beams of light shot out of the card.

"What? You expect to win with rainbows and fuzz balls?" Gansley demanded. "What kind of stunt is this?"

Kuriboh rose up in the air, his tiny form shaking with concentration. The former king took in a deep breath before he spoke, "Alright Kuriboh, form the Rainbow Arch!"

His Deckmaster obeyed, sliding across the sky and dragging a line of rainbow color with him. Everyone that was watching, other than the ex-pharaoh, stared in confusion.

"What is he doing?" the businessman asked, watching the monster in anxiousness.

"Perhaps you should have checked your own Deckmaster rule book…however, now I summon Swift Gaia the Fierce Knight in attack mode!" Yami shouted, slapping the card on his duel disk. At once, the tall knight that was seated upon his violet steed appeared in front of his dueling master.

"What?"

"And I'm afraid that your monsters are not the target of my knight; I'm aiming straight for your lifepoints!" the former king said. His monster quickly leapt onto the rainbow and began galloping towards his enemy, his jousting lance raised in attack.

"B-But how? I analyzed every aspect of this duel!" Gansley protested.

"Well, you seemed to have missed this one. Now my knight, follow the path of the rainbow arch and destroy his lifepoints!" Yami shouted.

"No, this can't be! My Deckmaster's special ability doesn't work on direct attacks!" Gansley shouted, flinching back as he saw the duel monster coming for him at full speed.

"Yes I know…thanks to Kuriboh; I was able to figure out your weakness. Now prepare to be crushed by the competition!" the former king said.

"Ha-ha-ha, bye bye now, you wanna-be lemon!" Marik said in a sing-song voice, trying to hold in something that looked like laughter.

The knight thrust his pointed weapon towards the Big Five member, impaling him instantly. Gansley screamed in both pain and disbelief, the red light that was coming from his opponent's monster blinding him.

"You little brats! I was so close…so close!" was the last words the virtual man said before he disappeared, as well as the other elements of the now finished duel.

Yami sighed in relief before he fell to one knee, quite glad that the duel was finally over. While he was still catching his breath, he didn't notice that Marik had walked up behind him until he turned around, meeting amusement-filled lilac eyes.

"That was possibly the funniest ending I have ever seen in my whole life, pharaoh. It's not every day you get to see an opponent crushed by ponies and rainbows." The younger dark said, snickering.

The ex-pharaoh smirked before standing up and brushing himself off. "Well, now that that's over, it's time to find my friends. There is no telling what Noah is putting them through."

"When we find this brat, would it be too much trouble if I sent his soul to the Shadow Realm?" Marik asked somewhat hopefully.

"No you may not. I have a feeling that Noah isn't the one that's really behind all of this. He's just a pawn in a much bigger plan."

"Fine, have it your way." The tan yami said, pouted mockingly before crossing his arms and staring off across the lake again. Yami looked back, smiling gratefully at the now brown furry monster.

"Thank you Kuriboh." He said. The Deckmaster nodded with a satisfied peep before he too disappeared.

"Hey pharaoh, look at that."

At the darker yami's voice, the former king turned around and saw that Marik was pointing towards a wooden door. Both of the yami stared at it as it seemed to float in midair above the waterfront.

/It looks like a passage way…/ Yugi said, appeared in spirit form in between the two yamis.

"Well said, pharaoh runt."

Both the tri-haired teens stared at Marik in shock. "How can you hear him?" Yami asked, narrowing his eyes in confusion.

Lilac eyes rolled dramatically. "Hello? I'm a yami too, in case you forgot. Seeing and hearing another hikari is just like seeing and hearing my own."

The ex-pharaoh was still a little suspicious, wondering if maybe it was the virtual world that was manipulating what they saw. However, he pushed those thoughts out of his mind as he remembered what was in front of them.

"Let's just hope that this door leads us to the others…who knows what kind of dangers they're facing." The former king said, walking up to the door and reaching for the handle. Once he opened the door, he took a cautious step inside before he continued on, Marik following close behind with narrowed eyes and he looked around continuously.

"Let's hope this leads us on the right path…"

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**R&R, please...it makes me very happy :D**


	5. Running in Circles

**My shortest chapter yet...ugh I wish I had made it longer...but it's okay because the next chapter will be much much longer. I'm just glad my beta still likes this story. She looks over these chapters so quikcly it's not even funny xD**

**Anyways, I want to thank all of my lovely reveiwers! The feedback you give keeps my motivation up!**

**I do not and never will own Yu-Gi-Oh**

* * *

Yugi, who had now taken control, was running as fast as he could. The black tunnel seemed endless and had no exit in sight. It seemed hopeless to keep going. Feeling a bit out of breath, the amethyst-eyed teen stopped, bent over in fatigue.

"Does this tunnel ever end?" he asked out loud.

~/It might, but only if Noah wants it to. /~ Yami said, appearing beside his aibou in spirit form. ~/You mustn't forget Yugi; he's controlling everything around us. /~

The tri-haired hikari sighed before his eyes glinted with determination. "He can try and stop us all he wants but nothing is going to stop us from finding our friends!" he said before he made his way to start running again.

~/Wait aibou, where did Marik go? /~

Yugi looked behind him and frowned when he saw that the tanned yami was indeed not behind them. "I'm not sure. He followed us on the way in so he must be…"

_**SMASH!**_

The amethyst-eyed teen squeaked in surprise and scrambled back a few feet as the black and white wall suddenly broke open and a certain blonde psycho flew through the hole.

"Marik, what are you doing? Where were you?"

The lilac-eyed yami brushed himself off casually. "While you and Mr. I'm-Always-Right decided to walk off and leave me, I chose to follow a different path."

Yami, who had appeared in spirit form next to his hikari, smirked smugly and crossed his arms. ~/And how is that working out for you? /~

Marik glared at the ex-pharaoh. "Watch it Shorty, at least I had the _brains _to follow a different path, not the one this little brat wants us to go on."

The former monarch opened his mouth to retort but closed it. Marik was right; they were going on the path that Noah wanted them to…but where else were they supposed to go?

Yugi sighed in aggravation. "Well, we're not going to get anywhere just standing here. Let's go and see where this tunnel leads us." He said before he began running. Both of the yamis exchanged one glance before the younger one shrugged and ran after the tri-haired hikari. Yami sighed before he followed his traveling companions.

"By the love of Ra, your little brat sure can run fast." The lilac-eyed immortal said. The older yami glared at him before once again running ahead.

It took a few minutes of continuous running but soon, the three of them found themselves surrounded by four doors, each of them glowing with a powerful bright light.

The tri-haired hikari stared at all four of them for a few minutes before speaking. "Which door to we chose? If we don't pick one we're stuck here…" he said, wandering awfully close to one of the doors.

~/Don't touch it! We have to test all these doors for traps first. /~ Yami said sharply, facing the door that Yugi was about to go into.

The amethyst-eyed hikari blinked before he reached into his pocket and took out a loose coin. Flicking it at the open door, he watched as the light twisted into the face of a monster and spit the coin right back out at it's owner.

"Testing doors is definitely a good idea." Yugi said, a little embarrassed at how quickly he was ready to jump into that opening.

~/We may have won our duel, but a whole new game is just right around the corner./~ the former king said gravely, staring hard at the open door.

Marik tilted his head to the side in thought. "What if this is just another trap made by that little brat and we're stuck here?"

Yami sighed. ~/Noah wouldn't make it that easy. He wants to torment us so that we're forced to give up. Trapping us would do him no good. /~

"_It's so cold…I can't take much longer…"_

Yugi's eyes widened. "Tea! Where are you Tea? Tell me, quick!"

"_I-It's so c-cold…"_

Determination once again flared up in his large amethyst eyes. "We have to figure out which part of this world she's in and find her!"

The ex-pharaoh narrowed his eyes. ~/Noah is letting us hear her just to torture us. What a cruel trick…/~

"Then we have to break out of here and find her!" Yugi cried out and ran towards the door again, obviously forgetting what was behind it. This proved to be a mistake for as soon as he came in contact with it, the light threw him back and he landed with a thud. His yami was immediately by his side, holding his shoulder comfortingly.

"Well, that was helpful, wasn't it?" Marik said teasingly, kneeling down next to the ex-pharaoh and his hikari.

~/Don't panic Yugi, that's just what Noah wants us to do. /~ Yami said gently, ignoring the younger yami next to him.

"But what about Tea?"

The tanner yami snorted before standing up. "If you were smart, you would have looked at the top of that blasted entrance."

~/Marik's right. What do you see carved over that door? /~

Yugi looked up and was surprised he didn't see it before. One lone star was carved over that particular door. "A star? Wait a second…of course! In Duel Monsters a star represents a monster's overall strength!"

The former king nodded. ~/Right, so behind that door is probably a one-star monster. /~

Marik growled. "Let me handle this one, pharaoh." He said, his duel disk activating as he said it. Drawing one card, he took one look at it before placing it down on his duel disk. "I summon Lekunga!" he said. At once, a green monster that had one huge eye and numerous tentacles appeared in front of him. "Attack whatever is behind that door!"

Marik's monster obeyed it's master and instantly shot off towards the door. A huge snake-like monster with only 300 attack points came out, snarling at Lekunga. However, the monster was not intimidated and a few of it's tentacles shot out and squeezed the snake, snapping it right in half.

~/Well done Marik. Now we can go in. /~ the ex-pharaoh said.

The younger yami smirked proudly before placing the card back in his deck, his monster disappearing from sight.

"Fine. Let's go now and maybe it will be the way out of here."

Yugi sighed. "Or maybe, it will lead us to Tea." He said before shaking off his yami's half-embrace and running off through the door. He was so quick to leave that he didn't notice the looked on annoyance on Marik's face or the flash of hurt that passed through Yami's eyes.

However, the tanned yami noticed it.

"What's wrong with you?"

The former king looked at his enemy before sighing, his eyes downcast. ~/It's…nothing. Nothing that's important./~ He said the last part quietly and made his way to follow his aibou when Marik quickly stood in front of him, blocking his exit.

~/Marik…/~

"Shut up pharaoh. Why don't you just tell him how you feel and wipe that sulking look off your face?"

Yami flushed hotly. How in the world did Marik know? ~/M-Marik…what…how did you know that…? /~

The younger immortal rolled his lilac eyes. "Oh come on pharaoh. It's so obvious to see the look you give him when his back is turned or how hurt you just looked when he couldn't stop talking about that bitch."

The former king bit his lip. If it was so obvious that _Marik _had figured it out…then did Yugi know?

"And don't worry, you won't have to worry about that slut anymore."

_That _caught Yami's attention rather quickly.

~/Wait…what are you talking about Marik? /~

The psychotic yami flashed him a wicked grin. "Oh, you'll see...very soon." He said darkly before running after the ex-pharaoh's hikari. Yami stared at him in confusion before he followed, not really sure what to make of his enemy's subtle threat.

After running down another tunnel, he soon met up with his hikari and the tanner yami but…it looked like they were right where they started. ~/It doesn't look like we're getting anywhere…/~ he muttered partially to himself.

"_P-Please help me…my legs are so n-numb…"_

"We're coming Tea!" Yugi shouted, hoping that his friend could hear him, wherever she was at. Marik narrowed his eyes, getting quite irritated at the short light's obliviousness towards the ex-pharaoh's feelings.

However, he reminded himself that he couldn't care less and continued to look around. He growled angrily as the feeling of helplessness quickly began to creep up on him.

"We've got to get out of here now!" the hikari's voice sounded again, sounding a little more desperate now.

~/Yugi, look on the floor…/~ the former king said grimly. Both the hikari and the younger dark looked down at the floor and Yugi's eyes widened when he saw the same coin he had thrown at the door not too long ago.

"Does this mean we've been running around in circles?" Marik growled out, glaring hard at the coin before giving in a hard kick, causing it to go flying off to the other end of the room.

"I'm afraid so…" the amethyst-eyed light said softly.

'Then, how are we supposed to get out of here?' Yami thought to himself.

None of them had an answer for that.


End file.
